Business

'Emoji literacy' flash cards are strangely silent on the subject of the eggplant

Domino's is cracking down on a digital affliction that affects millions of smartphone-wielding Americans: emoji illiteracy.

And in the process, it hopes to sell more pizzas.

The pizza chain is handing out free flashcards online to help befuddled texters decipher the little cartoon symbols that increasingly pepper conversations and social media as part of its latest ad campaign. The stunt comes complete with a faux-dramatic public service announcement featuring tearful baby boomer parents bemoaning the communication gap with their kids.

The campaign is a follow-up to a recent promotion that let Domino's customers order simply by texting or tweeting a pizza emoji. Despite a long set-up process required to get to the point where you can actually type in the emoji order, the pizza chain chalked it up as a success.

The 52-card set is available to print out online or by mail, though a Domino's spokesperson said that as of Monday morning, the entire first batch of physical packs had already been snatched up.

Image: Domino's

Image: Domino's

Of course, the flashcards shy away from some of the more Urban Dictionary-suited meanings, so getting to the bottom of why that eggplant popped up in your conversation might take a bit more digging.

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